STRESS

Make friends with your stress

Everybody talks about it – but few actually take action. More than ever people are diagnosed with stress and the serious side effects thereof. That is why stress is starting to become the societal sickness of the century. But we can do something about it – simply by taking the symptoms seriously and being prepared to make appropriate changes.

Everyone can have stress. And many make the mistake of thinking it is merely work related. “Stress is the pressure of the outside world or the one which we put on ourselves. Hence stress can affect young students, retired people and everyone in between. And it can be both physical and mental,” explains Pernille Knudtzon, who has spent the last decades intensely working with stress and the symptoms and treatments of it. She distinguishes between healthy and unhealthy stress.

“It is completely healthy to be busy and having to run out of the door to catch the bus, as this is a short interval of stress, and you recover from it rather quickly. It is essential that we are able to react quickly and take action for a short period of time so that we can fight or flee from a threat. The body is built for this, ” the Danish doctor continues.

“The problem is that if we do not pull the plug and just keep going we are talking about a long interval of unhealthy stress, and that is an issue.”

The body talks

According to Pernille Knudtzon, the clearest symptoms of stress are high blood pressure, extreme heart beats, dizziness, stomach issues, reduced memory, shaking, sweating, headaches, infections and a reduced immune system, eating disorders, erection problems, a tendency to lose track of one’s situation and become absent.
“There are many symptoms of stress, though they are not all easy to measure or see. It is therefore important to stay aware and take the symptoms seriously when they show up.” The Danish doctor expands on her statement “The body fights, helps and compensates to the best of its ability. But if you do not take the symptoms seriously when they show, you end up sitting in front of your laptop for example not knowing your own name. That is burn out, often leading to depression and years of recovery. Stress leaves scars on body and soul.”

“There are many symptoms of stress, though they are not all easy to measure or see. It is therefore important to be aware and take the symptoms seriously when they show up.”

It is like an iceberg in the sea, only 10 percent of stress issues are shown on the surface as the classic symptoms of high blood pressure, tachycardia, dizziness, bad stomach, reduced memory, shaking, sweating, headaches, infections and a reduced immune system, eating disorders, erection problems, a tendency to lose track of one’s situation and become absent. It is the body’s cry for help. That is why Pernille Knudtzon believes that there has to be in depth tests and lifestyle analysis as well as different treatments to cope with the stress problems.

Get to the core

If you feel down or stressed, the most natural thing to do is to see a doctor and get checked. “Blood tests, brain scans, X-rays and scannings can reveal emergency injuries to the organs. But most often the solution is a prescription for calming medicine, painkillers or sleeping pills to reduce the patient’s discomfort. It is ok in an emergency situation for a short period of time.” says Pernille Knudtzon, who in her treatments of patients tries to get to the core of the patient’s stress problems. She does this through advanced blood tests, lifestyle analysis, analysis of oxidative stress in the organs of the body, measuring neurotransmitters, the stress hormone cortisol, antioxidants, which directly correlate with the stress levels in the body as well as other supplementary treatments.

“Almost everyone who is stressed lack vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, zinc, selenium, sodium as well as B6, B12 and D3 vitamins. And this lack leads to imbalances and stress,” explains the Danish doctor and continues “It is also an indicator of stress if a person eats too little, too much or too badly.

A healthy diet and the right supplements are a fundamental elements of recovering balance. That is why I ask my patients to write down what and when they drink and eat, after which they receive a food plan.” Pernille explains this and continues her lifestyle analysis. “Exercise is also good. There is nothing better than a long hike or run in nature. It cleanses, gives new energy and leaves you thinking clearly. But if it is a matter of serious stress and burn out, it is best to stay calm and take it easy, because it cannot be rushed or run.” As a step to finding this difficult balance, Pernille Knudtzon isn’t afraid of thinking in new ways and trying new things.

Supplementary treatments

The Danish doctor believes it is time we open our eyes to the eastern holistic approaches such as acupuncture, reflexology, osteopathy, kinesiology, Body SDS, meditation, Body Talk as well as coaching.
“All of these treatments focus on finding the body’s balance between all the organs. It is still new to many the results on stress patients have been good. And they are100 percent natural and drug free, meaning they are entirely without side effects.” says the doctor, who is convinced that it is merely a matter of time before the abovementioned treatments are seen as regular forms of treatment recommended by many. “Stress is a well known illness, and has been for many years, yet more and more people are affected by it, which means we need to tackle it differently in order to treat them, ” says Pernille Knudtzon and takes a deep breath. And breathing properly is her last tip for those dealing with stress.
“It can happen that we are so busy, we forget to breathe properly. You must have a deep breath – all the way down to the stomach. It is important in order to calm down. Nowadays you can actually attend courses teaching you to breathe properly. So it really is important.” she concludes. ”So breathe deeply. Listen to yourself. Be aware of your stress symptoms and do something about them in advance”.
Check your vitamin and mineral levels, diet, lifestyle, exercise, ”switch off and do nothing” and be open to new forms of treatment.
That is how you make friends with your stress and find balance.

Short info about Pernille Knudtzon:

Pernille has practised in her own clinic in Fuengirola for 18 years.
She is a specialist in general medicine, acupuncture, NLP-therapist and coach.
“Almost everyone who is stressed lacks vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, zinc, selenium, natrium as well as B6, B12 and D3 vitamins, and a lack leads to an imbalance and stress,”.

Listen to yourself. Be aware of your stress symptoms and do something about them in advance.